Julia Nunes
‘Ughwow’
Rude Butler
Records
Compared to previous
outings, a break-up record is not really something you’d expect from Fairport
native and singer-songwriter Julia Nunes. But there’s
a pervasive melancholy coming out of this artist, pouring out, really. It’s a
little unexpected from a songwriter who is generally known to couch her lyrics in
mirth and ukulele sunshine. And the fingers of producer Shruti Kumar are all up in the
batter, beefing up Nunes’ vocal presence with multi-tracking
and providing an abundance of beats. It’s thoroughly modern and yet 100 percent
relevant to Nunes’ entire catalogue.
Except this is the first time I’ve heard her sound hurt. And even if
she’s just clearing the air and trying to move on, the pain is real. You can
feel it in the song “No Sudden Moves,” in which she
sings, “I believe in self-fulfilling
prophecies/ Obsession fades/ And turns to
hate/ It’s just what I do.”The pretty pop of Nunes’ earlier work — in
which she cracked wise with an ironic tone and covered acts like Destiny’s
Child on the uke — is still there just below the
surface waiting for the healing to begin. “Ughwow”
is a good start.
Julia Nunes celebrates the release of “Ughwow”
Thursday, August 1, 7:30 p.m. at Abilene Bar & Lounge, 153 Liberty Pole Way. $10 advance, $15 door.232-3230.
abilenebarandlounge.com; julianunes.com.
This article appears in Jul 24-30, 2019.
